"Y" FARM MILITARY CEMETERY

​Bois-Grenier​​​Nord

​France

Location Information

Bois Grenier is a small village in the Department of the Nord, about 4 kilometres due South of Armentieres.

Leave Bois Grenier on the D222 in the direction of Fleurbaix. After 1200 metres turn left following the signs for the Cemetery, which can be found on the right hand side after the farm, approximately 800 metres from the main road.

Visiting Information

Wheelchair access to the cemetery is possible, but may be by alternative entrance.

Historical Information

The cemetery was named after a nearby farm, called by the Army "Y" (or Wye) Farm. It was begun in March 1915 and used by units holding this sector until February 1918. At the Armistice it contained 335 burials, but it was then increased when graves were brought in from the battlefields south of Armentieres and from the following cemeteries:-

CROIX-BLANCHE BRITISH CEMETERY, FLEURBAIX (Pas-de-Calais), in a garden by the road leading South-East from Croix-Blanche. It was begun by the 2nd Yorks and the 1st Grenadier Guards, and used from November 1914 to July 1916; it contained the graves of 36 soldiers from the United Kingdom

DON GERMAN CEMETERY, ALLENNES-LES-MARAIS (Nord), contained one Indian grave.

DOULIEU CHURCHYARD (Nord), contained the graves of four soldiers from the United Kingdom, who fell in October 1914, and one from Australia, who fell in 1917.

HANTAY COMMUNAL CEMETERY GERMAN EXTENSION (Nord), contained one Indian grave.

LESTREM COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION (Pas-de-Calais), which was made by the Germans in the summer of 1918. They buried in it three soldiers and two airmen from the United Kingdom. When Lestrem was recaptured, a British Plot was made in which 17 soldiers from the United Kingdom were buried.

MARQUILLIES COMMUNAL CEMETERY and GERMAN EXTENSION (Nord), contained three Indian graves.

MOUVAUX MILITARY CEMETERY (Nord), used from October 1918, to October 1919. It was in the grounds of the Monastery at Haut-Mont, close to the aerodrome. It contained the graves of 51 soldiers and airmen from the United Kingdom, one soldier from Canada, and three men of the Cape Coloured Labour Regiment.

PONT-A-MARCQ COMMUNAL CEMETERY GERMAN EXTENSION (Nord), contained the graves of four soldiers from the United Kingdom and about 150 German soldiers.

TEMPLEUVE COMMUNAL CEMETERY (Nord), in which one soldier from the United Kingdom and one from Australia were buried by the Germans, with about 200 of their men.

Y Farm Military Cemetery now contains 835 burials and commemorations of the First World War. 288 of the burials are unidentified and a special memorial commemorates one New Zealand casualty believed to be buried among them. Another special memorial commemorates an Indian soldier known to have been buried in Marquillies Communal Cemetery German Extension whose grave could not be found.

Citation:An extract from "The London Gazette," No. 29240, dated 23rd July, 1915, records the following:- "For most conspicuous bravery and resource on 5th June, 1915, during operations south of Krithia, Dardanelles. When a detachment of a battalion on his left, which had lost all its officers, was rapidly retiring before a heavy Turkish attack, Second Lieutenant Moor, immediately grasping the danger to the remainder of the line, dashed back some 200 yards, stemmed the retirement, led back the men, and recaptured the lost trench. This young officer, who only joined the Army in October, 1914, by his personal bravery and presence of mind, saved a dangerous situation."

Also known as Thomas John Victor Coubrough. A labourer from Fitzroy, Victoria prior to enlistment and embarked with the 10th Reinforcements from Melbourne on HMAT Wiltshire on 7 March 1916. Later transferring to the 60th Battalion, he was reported as missing in action. A subsequent court of enquiry determined that he had been killed in action near Fromelles on 19 July 1916, aged 26. Following the Armistice his remains were recovered and re-interred in the Y Farm Military Cemetery, Bois Grenier, France. ​

Portrait of 3558 Private (Pte) Charles Knight, 2nd Battalion, superimposed over a photograph of his grave. A native of Manchester, England, Pte Knight was a milk carter from Manly, NSW prior to enlistment and embarked with the 8th Reinforcements, 19th Battalion from Sydney on HMAT Berrima on 12 December 1915. After transferring to the 2nd Battalion, he was killed in action on 7 July 1916, aged 28.

Son of Benjamin John and Laura Powell; husband of Mildred A. Powell, of 42, Hopetoun St., Elsternwick, Victoria, Australia. Native of South Melbourne, Victoria.

A blacksmith from Elsternwick, Victoria prior to enlistment, Pte Powell embarked with the 2nd Reinforcements from Melbourne on HMAT Euripides on 4 May 1916. Later posted as missing in action, a subsequent court of enquiry determined that he had been killed in action on 19 July 1916, aged 24, and had been buried in no-man’s land near Pozieres. Following the Armistice his remains were exhumed and re-interred in the Y Farm Military Cemetery, Bois-Grenier, France.

Son of Thomas and Hannah Sullivan, of William Edward St., Longueville, New South Wales. Native of Sydney, New South Wales.​A labourer prior to enlistment, Sullivan embarked with the 20th Battalion from Sydney aboard HMAT Euripides on 2 November 1915. Transferring to the 56th Battalion in February 1916, Pte Sullivan arrived in France with his unit in June of the same year. Little more than a month after his battalion entered the front line trenches for the first time, Pte Sullivan was killed in action on 30 August 1916, aged 18.

From Annandale, NSW, son of John and Jane Williamson. A carter prior to enlisting, he embarked from Sydney aboard HMAT Star of England (A15) on 8 March 1916. He was killed in action at Fleurbaix, France on 26 July 1916, aged 24.